Thanks,bob64, for the advice on mulching my slope. Yes summer gardening is masochistic! However I'm through planting except for some clumps of vince until fall.

The problem with buffalo on the slope was that I couldn't mow anywhere except the top 4 feet without falling. In addition to the angle of the rest of the slope, the terrain was so uneven from roots of those four trees and from erosion.

The plants on the north end of the slope have been there since mid-to-end of May and I think are well rooted, though I still water them once a day. I'm going to now try to wean them, and am going to lay some soaker hose under the mulch this weekend for extended dry spells.

As for the vinca--I tried planting 6 little groups in June last summer and gave up watering them thinking they weren't going to make it. Surprise, five groups came back, so want to get some more transplanted from beds I already have this weekend. That will be it for now.

Getting the mulch in will help me see what next to plant. I don't want to overplant the area, thinking "groups" look better. I'd like to add some seathrift which does well in poor soil, and some lavendar--but lavendar I'm told by two locals hasn't been successful in overwintering here.

By fall I'll know if the grasses on the south end will survive. I ordered a "collection" and didn't know they would arrive dormant and dead looking. They say to give it 6 weeks, but I have my doubts. Anybody out there have experience with "dormant" plants? Or lavendar in north-central zone 5/6 Kansas lime-ridden soil?

Thanks again, alleycallie

I just planted some Ohio Spiderwort which someone gave to me because it multiplied so much in their yard. The spiderwort does not get so tall. Maybe that would work for you? Buffalo grass allegedly does not grow so tall and requires very little if any mowing. However, you probably see much more of it in Kansas than I do in New York. Vinca is hard to kill. I have tried to kill lots of vinca with very little success. Once your plants are established I would not water them every day. Water deeply but less often. This encourages deeper rooting which is what your slope needs. For one slope in partial shade, I used creeping red fescue but I only mow it once a year or so.
One of my more successful efforts to eradicate weeds on a slope was to plant the slope with rye grain in the fall and then chop it down in spring and replant with native grasses. I did this on some flat garden beds also. I have been watching some lavender planted here for about three years now and our winters can get cold enough. Maybe the people who planted it by me used a more cold-hardy variety?

I will look into creeping red fescue--have never heard of it. Would you happen to know the "proper" name? Will also google it.

Will also look for Ohio spiderwort. Also, I'm curious about the rye grass. I've read of that in vegetable garden books. That is a definite attraction to me. Doesn't it also improve the soil? I did hear recently of a couple in Lindsborg, Kansas about 70 miles from here who gave up their traditional lawn for a native grass that is bluish in color and gets 4-6 inches tall. I will try to find a way to get in touch with them. If it is dependent on sun, cannot use it.

I had areas of my buffalo reseeded and it is fraught with weeds. My neighbor went to a nursing home, and the nephew who looks after the place is a farmer with no time, and let the lawn go wild, so I am getting the effects--that plus an abundant amount of rain this spring are the two causes, I believe. I have cats who are indoor/outdoor cats and try never to use herbicides, so I have spent hours weeding and nursing the buffalo along. The buffalo area is quite large and is around the sides and old front of our house. The new front is in the back of our house and I have a small area of fescue (forgive me for that!) and many perennial plants. But should the buffalo never recover, I sure would like to find a native grass.

Thanks for your replies.

Alleycallie

What if you were to think in terms of shrubs, grasses of different heights and forms and colours, sedum, to create a tapestry which largely remains 'active'/evergreen over the winter, and created mini contours for planting along and for access?

Shrubs with networks of roots (azaleas, for example, if they'll live in your area) are useful for holding back slopes and mulch. Perennial daisies, subshrubs and clumps of hardy bulbs in the easier to dig areas.

Also, for the sunnier spots - have you any variety of lupin/lupine you could plant up? They're reasonably hardy, can be perennial for a few years, self-seed, and have the virtue of improving the soil, too. Plus the lovely colours of some varieties.

If your climate is stern enough to curb the Vinca - great! It can be a lovely plant in the right place. But best when supervised annually. It is not always well-behaved...

PS creeping Phlox subulata happily grows through bark chip mulch in this zone. Might also do so for you.

Creeping red fescue is "festuca rubra".
I bought my creeping red fescue from Ernst Conservation Seeds but it is actually one of the more available natives so you might be able to find a more local source.
Rye grain will improve the soil a bit. The best thing about the rye is the deep roots which will have some value for erosion control even for a while after dead and the rye's ability to suppress other plants in its midst (a way to clear the area and start all over again). Kill the rye before it goes to seed.

I have mulch on my slope. It actually is more like a hillside (50 feet along the bottom, 30 feet to the top) and at its steepest it is 2:1. When I first put the mulch on some of it would slide off in the rain. Then I put logs across the top (which are now hidden by plants) to keep the water from above the planted portion of the hill from running down the hill, and that stopped most of the runoff. I only lose mulch in very hard downpours. I first used pine bark mulch, but then switched to mushroom soil to help improve the soil quality. I do not use any type of fabric or netting. Good luck!

Good idea on the logs. I also want to set some stones in, and I need to get some flexible edging that I can cut and put in front of a few of the plants so that more moisture is retained. I have laid in soaker hose now for emergency drought conditions, hope to use it very sparingly. The hose is already covered in mulch. The used netting is repaired in the few torn places--threaded through the net holes with fishing line--and is rolled up ready to go. Now all I have to do is get some mulch before attaching the netting over it. Thank you all for your help. Maybe by fall I can get some pictures taken and post them. I am using many of your ideas for the remaining slope area.

Alleycallie

There is a new product designed to keep mulch in place on hillsides & slopes. Go to www.mulchmagnet.com for more details.

I am also a newbie but we used cocoa shell mulch on our 45 degree angle hill and it stays put. When it gets wet it forms a "mat" that stays in place even when dry. We placed it over clay soil though and not on landscaping fabric. Good luck!

There is a new landscape erosion control fabric that blocks weeds and holds mulch on slopes. It is a new slope solution that is easy to use and effective on 1:1 slopes up to 70 degrees, just roll it out, staple it to the ground, add the mulch by wheelbarrow or pneumatic powered truck and your done! Slope Hugger is new on the market.

Is slope hugger still available??????

I couldn't find any recent information on slope hugger.

Mulch mats can be effective on slopes, as long as they're anchored down. Some don't even need to be covered with anything else, assuming you like the looks.

www.woven-earth.com

Their website talks about using it on hills as erosion control.